48 minutes of debate time went to commercials

FORTY-EIGHT minutes or 35.5 percent of the entire 135-minute presidential debate on Sunday were spent on advertisements, spread across six commercial breaks of eight minutes each.

There were 117 ad placements, seven of these campaign ads of the Presidential candidates, except Davao Mayor Rodrigo Duterte, and three from the Commission on Elections (Comelec), reported Mindanews.

Vice President Jejomar Binay, Sen. Grace Poe and former Interior Secretary Manuel Roxas II had two ad placements each, while Sen. Miriam Defensor-Santiago only had one. Duterte had none.

But Duterte generated the most buzz on Twitter, with 322,000 tweets. Binay placed second with 212,000 tweets, Roxas with 78,000, Poe with 69,000 and Santiago with 65,000.

Senatorial candidates Francis Tolentino and Martin Romualdez also had two ad placements each while Sen. Ralph Recto had one.

Below is Mindanews’ list of the debate segments, commercial breaks, and the ad placements.

Opening Statements: 10 minutes (5 to 5:10 pm); Ad Break 1: eight minutes (5:10 to 5:18 pm). Ads: Ensure, Palmolive, McDonald’s, Binay, Babyflo, Cornetto, Master Deep Cleanser, San Mig Light, Elica, Knorr Sinigang Mix, Comelec, Zesto, Surf, Golden Fiesta, Ralph Recto, Nescafe Latte, KFC, Dove Intense Repair, Plemex

Round 1: 20 minutes (5:18 to 5:38 p.m.), Ad break 2: eight 8 minutes 5:38 to 5:46 pm, Ads: Kopiko Black 3 in one, McDonald’s, M. Lhuillier, Sunsilk, Bear Brand Adult Plus, Grace Poe, Cornetto, Tide, Del Monte Heart Smart, Lysol, Milo, Dove Men Deodorant, San Miguel Beer, Palmolive, Francis Tolentino, Chippy, Chowking halo-halo, Knorr Cubes, Similac

Round 2a: 14 minutes (5:46 to 6 pm), Ad Break 3: 8 minutes (6 to 6:08 pm), ads: Subaru, Zesto, Palmolive Naturals, Kopiko black 3 in one, Mar Roxas, Downy, Lactum, Rexona, KFC, Comelec ad, Ajinomoto, Surf, San Miguel beer, Moneygram, Cerelac, Martin Romualdez, Nescafe Classic, Dove intense repair, Cornetto, Babyflo

Round 2b: 8 minutes (6:08 pm to 6:16 pm), Ad Break 4: 8 minutes (6:16 to 6:24), ads: Oppo, Greenwich Hawaiian overload, Breeze, Ensure, Grace Poe, Palmolive Stay Vibrant, San Miguel flavored beer, Cornetto, Flawlessly U, Tiki-tiki, Knorr Cubes, Nescafe Creamy Latte, Hansel, Sunlight, Purefoods corned beef, Tide, KFC, Francis Tolentino, Ginebra San Miguel, Tresemme, Tang orange

Round 3a: 16 minutes (6:24 pm to 6:40 pm), Ad Break 5: 8 minutes (6:40 pm to 6:48 p.m.), ads:  Rebisco 4027, Surf, Red Horse, Miriam Defenso Santiago, Milo for grownups, Sunsilk, McDonald’s, RiteMed, Enfagrow, Comelec, Cornetto, Babyflo, Aji Sinigang Cubes, Elica, Anlene, Binay, Emperador, Ariel, Kopiko Blanca

Round 3b: 9 minutes (6:48 pm to 6:57), Ad Break 6: 8 minutes (6:57 pm to 7:05 p.m.), ads: Palmolive, San Mig Light, Tide, Mar Roxas, Blackwater, KFC, Vaseline lotion, Anlene, Glade, Knorr sinigang mix, Metrobank, Cornetto, Goldilocks, Strepsils, Martin Romualdez, Breeze, San Miguel Zero, Palmolive Conditioner, Nescafe Latte

Closing statements: 10 mins (7:05 to 7:15 pm)

“Pilipinas Debates 2016” is supposed to be initiated by the Commission on Elections (Comelec) which entered into a memorandum of agreement with the giant TV networks and newspapers, a move that has generated complaints from the media and earned Comelec chair Andres Bautista a lawsuit from rappler.com.

Sunday’s presidential debate was the first of three rounds and was presented by GMA 7 and Philippine Daily Inquirer.